Starred Review. With its beautiful layouts, pin-sharp reproductions and sparkling texts, this enormous 15-pound book is worth every penny of its price. The volume kicks off with an illuminating essay by Dave Hickey (Air Guitar) that traces the development of Warhol's genre-mocking style to his childhood in industrial Pittsburgh. Poverty forced Warhol to hone the instincts of a salesman, Hickey suggests, and neighborhood tales about Czech folk hero David Schrapnel taught him his favorite artistic method: get it exactly wrong. "Exactly wrong demonstrated that you knew what was exactly right and you were doing it wrong for the right reasons," Hickey explains. "Thus, in his impoverished early days as a fashion illustrator, Warhol dressed so wretchedly that... colleagues suspected him of being rich." The volume covers both Warhol's numerous accomplishments (in commercial illustration, advertising, painting, film) and his transformation of the New York art scene so thoroughly that even fans will gain new appreciation for Warhol's enduring influence. Longer texts by Kenneth Goldsmith, David Dalton, Ivan Karp, Peggy Phelan, Ronnie Cutrone and Bruno Bischofberger reward sustained reading, but for those who prefer browsing, the 16"Å~12" reproductions and the quotations of Warhol's many witticisms will be enough. (Mar.)
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Kurzbeschreibung
A one-of-a-kind, over-the-top, one-stop-shopping overview of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Culled from archives at the Warhol Museum and Warhol Foundation in addition to a variety of other private sources, "Andy Warhol Giant Size" provides an unprecedented look at the life and work of an endlessly fascinating figure. Included are well known works and famous public moments (hanging out with celebrity friends like Halston and Liza Minelli at Studio 54) as well as Warhol's private side (eating corn flakes with his mother) and previously unpublished material.